WORKING WITH CHILDREN CHECKS — AUDITOR
GENERAL'S REPORT
1372. Hon PETER COLLIER to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Child Protection:
I refer to the Auditor General's report titled ''Working
with Children Check—Follow-up''.
(1) Of the 19 applicants issued with a negative interim
notice, how many were —
(a) charged with or found guilty
of a child sex offence; and
(b) classified as a dangerous sex
offender?
(2) Of the 21
applicants issued with a negative notice within 200 days, how many were —
(a) charged with or found guilty
of a child sex offence;
(b) classified
as a dangerous sex offender; and
(c) for each
applicant in (a) and (b), how long were they working with children?
(3) Of the
seven applicants issued with a negative notice after 200 days, how many were —
(a) charged with or found guilty
of a child sex offence;
(b) classified
as a dangerous sex offender; and
(c) for each
applicant in (a) and (b), how long were they working with children?
Hon SUE ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the
question.
(1) (a) There were 15.
(b) The
Department of Communities does not have this information. Confidentiality
provisions of the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004 apply to
this type of information.
(2) (a) There were 14.
(b) The
Department of Communities does not have this information. Confidentiality
provisions of the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004 apply to
this type of information.
(c) The role
of the Department of Communities working with children screening unit is to
receive a person's application for a working with children check and
assess any risk they may pose to children if
they were to engage in child-related work. The Working with Children (Criminal
Record Checking) Act 2004 allows for people to engage in child-related
work if they have a pending application or a current working with children
card, unless they have been issued with a negative notice. It is not the role
of the working with children screening unit to track how many days a person
works on a pending application.
(3) (a) There was one.
(b) The
Department of Communities does not have this information. Confidentiality
provisions of the Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2004 apply to
this type of information.
(c) The role
of the Department of Communities working with children screening unit is to
receive a person's application for a working with children check and
assess any risk they may pose to children if
they were to engage in child-related work. The Working with Children (Criminal
Record Checking) Act 2004 allows for people to engage in child-related
work if they have a pending application or a current working with children
card, unless they have been issued with a negative notice. It is not the role
of the working with children screening unit to track how many days a person
works on a pending application.